From the ResetSF launch event, transparency was a popular theme. As an open government advocate, I do believe in the well-known quote from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeisthat that “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”  SF is a leader in this space but we can do so much more. I’d like to see a financial dashboard that provides complete transparency as to where our tax dollars are going. Here is more detail from an amazing intern that worked for the City:

 

Ability to see the amount of taxes paid per capita on an individual, district, zip code and city-wide basis;
  • Ability to see the amount of City services per capita on an individual, district, zip code and city-wide basis;
  • Ability to find contact information for elected representatives on a district, zip-code and city-wide level that are responsible for City service delivery;
  • Ability to compare financial information for the current fiscal year with that of previous years.
The data that will support the tool will be culled from existing public data sources such as SF Find/SFGIS, SF311, DataSF, and City departments such as the Budget Office and the Assessor Recorder’s Office.
Benefits:
By enabling SF residents to interact with a tool that lets them tie the amount of taxpayer dollars to the value of City services received, the City Resident Financial Dashboard aims to facilitate:
·       Increased government transparency that leads to greater public trust;
·       Increased citizen participation that engenders more inclusive public discourse, which leads to better public policy and greater public consensus;
·       Increased collaboration between government and City residents that fosters innovation, which leads to greater efficiency.